Today, there are many different applications were it is necessary to drain fluid from a tank for various purposes. In many commercial, industrial, municipal and residential applications and processes, a fluid, either a liquid or a gas, needs to be drained. The kind of fluid can vary. The fluid can be but is not limited to: fresh water, salt water, brine, an aqueous mixture, a chemical, a food mixture, a liquid mixture, milk, a juice, a soft drink, an alcohol, etc. Many municipalities have water treatment plants that collect and treat drinking water, storm water, waste streams, etc. Many homes and some small businesses have a fresh water and/or a salt water aquarium. Aquariums are manufactured in various sizes from 10 gallons to 1,500 gallons or more. Regardless of the size of the aquarium, all aquariums need the water filtered on a continuous basis. Some aquariums, especially aquariums that can hold a large quantity of fluid, continuously drain off some of the water and route it to a sump system where it is filtered and then returned to the aquarium.
In some of the above mentioned applications and processes, a portion of the fluid is removed from a tank or an aquarium and is routed to another tank where it is further processed. Sometimes the fluid is filtered. A fluid can be filtered to remove foreign particles, debris and/or waste. The clean, filtered fluid can then be reintroduced back into the original tank or aquarium. In other processes, it may be necessary to drain excess fluid from a tank in order to prevent a flood.
A home aquarium is a good example of an application where water may be continuously drained and routed to a filtering system. The filtering system can be hidden from view. Water in the fish aquarium will becomes tainted with food particles, algae growth, fish waste, etc. over time. A portion of this water is skimmed or drained off from the upper surface of the water in the aquarium and is routed to a filtering system which is usually situated in a cabinet located below the aquarium or on lower level, such as in the basement. The filtering system can vary in design and construction. Such aquariums need an overflow system which is easy to install and is desirably out of sight so as not to interfere with the aesthetics of the aquarium.
Now, an overflow system for a tank has been invented. The overflow system is especially useful for a fish aquarium. The overflow system is sized to fit between a lid on the aquarium and a bottom edge of the aquarium frame so as to be out of sight of the people looking at the fish in the aquarium.